Saturday, December 13, 2008

Mothers

This new exercise is going to be more difficult than it originally sounded. It's not that I can't think of anything to be thankful for this past week, but it's a little difficult to write an article that doesn't sound like a shopping list: This week I am thankful for................

Anyway, since I am a mother this may appear a bit biased, however, it seems to me that mothers should be right up there at the top of the list of what we're most thankful for. After all, if we're honest, who do we usually call when we need something? Who do we count on for help or even just a listening ear? Who loves us no matter what? OK guys, I understand that fathers are important too, but we'll talk about that another day.

This week I was thinking how sad it will be someday when I don't have my mom to talk to. She has been a sounding board, a friend, a counselor, and a confidante over the past fifty-one years. She's laughed with me, cried with me, made sacrifices for me, and wanted the best for me. I'm just beginning to understand all she's invested and contributed to my life.

You might think this is silly, but here's a small example of how my mom is still a constant source of help and information. Last weekend while the kids were putting up the Christmas decorations, I decided to prune some of our house plants. When I went to wash my hands, I noticed that I couldn't bend one of my fingers. There was a hard callus on the inside joint of my ring finger that hadn't been there before. I was a little worried that I was having some bizarre allergic reaction to the plants. I immediately thought of calling my mom -- not a doctor, not the poison control center.

Just talking with mom somehow calmed my anxious heart, even when she didn't have any answers. As I was describing my symptoms over the phone, one of my children overheard and asked if I'd touched anything in the trash. Apparently there was a piece of paper with a blob of super glue that had been thrown away. When I threw some of the plant clippings in the trash, I must have gotten the glue on my finger. Needless to say, I was relieved, and my mom and family had a good laugh. I had envisioned my whole hand turning leprous.

I haven't always been thankful for my mom. There were many years that I blamed her for most, if not all, of my problems. After all, she was the one who divorced my dad and turned my world upside down. Every day that goes by brings a little clearer understanding of why she made some of the choices she made. I'm not saying she always made right choices; I'm just saying that I can understand the difficulty of her job as a mother a little more clearly the longer I try to do that job.

So if you can, hug your mother and tell her thanks for all she's been and done for you. Call her just to say "hi", or send her a note, even if you don't need anything. I promise you, that will make her day. And to all of you moms out there who might be feeling unloved or unappreciated, try to remember what the world would be like without us. There is no higher calling.........